I'm replacing the e4od in my 95 e250 351w with a used E4OD supposedly out of a 96 e250 with 55k on a rebuild. I got the new one up on the jack yesterday(not an easy task with a regular jack and wood) to realize the alignment pins were in both the motor and transmission. I opted to take the ones out of the motor since the trans was in the air. In retrospect this was a bad idea.

Now I'm mostly lined up with the drivers side closer because the alignment pin in the trans has shoved back in the trans with no hole behind it to knock it back out. The passenger side pin is in the motor but seems to be holding me back from mating the trans to the motor. Does anyone know how why or if this is even possible? I shouldn't have to force the trans in at all should I?

I know proper alignment is crucial so I don't smash the front pump. The two torque converter studs I can see are lined up in the flex plate. The torque converter still spins freely inside the holes of the flex plate. I pushed and turned the torque converter before putting the trans up. It had fallen loose during storage before I bought it. With the trans mated should I be able to spin the thing completely around and have to pull it towards the flex plate to line the studs up or should I just be able to wiggle it a little with the studs in the flex plate.

Basically I'm wondering if i need to pull this thing down re-install the torque converter and fix the alignment pin issue. Even though I don't want to It'll be easier now then having to do it again and pay for a front pump.

 

IS the front of the torque converter extending out of the bellhousing, or is it inside the front face of the bellhousing?

 

the torque converter should be at such a depth that when mated to the engine, it has roughly 1/8" of linear freedom to float forward/backward. if the converter is not properly seated in the pump, it will hit the flex plate before the bellhousing meets the engine block, and any attempt to force them together will do bad things to the converter, pump, transmission case, or all of the above.
i once destroyed a transmission case because i didn't have the converter seated properly and tried to force it.

in my experience installing a variety of trannies in various vehicles, some of them are a bit tough to make them drop in. its often helpful to have a couple bolts in the same thread size as the bellhousing bolts, but a couple inches longer, and use them for alignment pins while the tranny is still a couple inches back from the engine. only use them for pulling things together after you're sure that everything is lined up and won't cause any damage. once you have 2 such bolts in place, you no longer have to fear the tranny falling off your jack, so you're a little freer to wiggle it into place.

if it truly is your alignment pin holding you out, it probably just has a little bit of corrosion in the hole, and will require a little extra force to pop it in. take a stubby wrench and feel it gently as you tighten down a bolt in the nearest hole. stop every couple of turns and check alignment and all that, and obviously stop if it suddenly gets hard, but it'll likely drop in without too much trouble.